Peel's Principals

Early Roots of Policing: Sir Robert Peel's Twelve Principals of Policing

For over a century police departments in the United States and across the world have been following Sir Robert Peel's twelve principals of policing. Almost nothing or very little has changed since these principals were first implemented in England's "Scotland Yard". Many of these principals are behind today's investigating and policing practices.

THE POLICE MUST BE STABLE, EFFICIENT, AND ORGANIZED ALONG MILITARY LINES.

This is very true in today's police work. A police department has to be able to stand the test of time. By this I mean must be capable of enduring changes in government, and be able to react to any situation they may encounter. The department must also be efficient when handling a case or investigation, any wrong step and everything goes the wrong way. Also must be like in the military, follow chains of command and promote in rank

(Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain, Major, etc. etc.).

2. THE POLICE MUST BE UNDER GOVERNMENT CONTROL

With this second principal the government oversees the police activities and intervenes whenever any guarantees given by the constitution of the United States have been violated by any form of local, state, and federal law enforcement. And also keeps a watchful eye on any one of these agencies who are doing so.

3. THE ABSENCE OF CRIME BEST PROVES THE EFFICIENCY OF POLICE.

This is a rule I really do not agree with. The fact that there is no crime is not entirely due to the police department. It is also due the growing number of neighborhood watch programs. These people are also due credit when crime either is non existent or down to the minimum in some parts of a city. It is also true that the sole presence of police force on the streets is a very powerful crime deterrent.

4. THE DISTRIBUTION OF CRIME NEWS IS VERY ESSENTIAL.

The use of crime bulletins and other type of news divestment is very crucial, especially if a crime has been committed. The sooner the news of a crime or wanted person(s) gets out, the greater the possibilities of bringing the case to a close, or to solving the crime. It is also very important that the police departments communicate with other agencies to share information about specific crimes, modes operandi, or any other important information that may be crucial in developing leads to solve a case or even find missing persons.

5. THE DEVELOPMENT OF POLICE STRENGTH BOTH OVER TIME AND BY AREAS IS ESSENTIAL.

It is without a doubt that any police department should grow to meet the needs of their constituents. In some cases the number of police officers should not exceed the number per capita of citizens, or this rule may back fire. By this I mean if the number of citizens in any given part of a city or county outweighs the number of allowed police officers, the officer may end up with a work load much greater than he or she can handle and therefore end up either transferring to another law enforcement agency or quitting the force all together because the job is getting stressful.

6. NO QUALITY IS MORE INDISPENSABLE TO A POLICE OFFICER THAN A PERFECT COMMAND OF TEMPER; A QUIET, DETERMINED MANNER HAS MORE EFFECT THAN VIOLENT ACTION.

A police officer must never let his feeling get in the way when it comes to doing his/her job. The officer must also remember that he/she is before all a professional, and when the officer puts on a uniform, he is not only representing himself or herself, but the corporation the officer is working for. The officer must be able to implement verbal judo to diffuse situation rather than excessive force.

7. GOOD APPEARANCE COMMANDS RESPECT.

A police officer's appearance is very important. We have to remember that an officer is dealing with the public and sometimes with other public figures within the community. The majority of the time, an officer's appearance will reflect or give the impression of how he works. If the officer is neatly dressed, boots shinned, and well groomed, we can almost assure that the officer's work is the same, nice and neat. On the other hand if the officer's appearance is poor, we can assume that so is his/her work.

8. THE SECURING AND TRAINING OF THE PROPER PEOPLE IS AT THE ROOT OF EFFICIENCY.

A proper training will always save a department a lot of headaches. It also sets the bar for a good officer. The better and more intense the training the better prepare that officer will be when he is flying solo. Unfortunately this sometimes also reflects the capability of some training officers and the other factor that may contribute to the field training officer's to cut corners. For example if the field training officer is being pressured into teaching a probationary officer fast because